Kirsten Gillibrand officially announces she's running for president in 2020

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, smiles as she listens to a patron while visiting a coffee shop on Main Street in Concord, N.H., Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. Gillibrand visited New Hampshire as she explores a 2020 run for president.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has officially joined the race for president.

The lawmaker, who faces an already-crowded Democratic field, said in a video released Sunday that she wants to prove "brave wins."

Gillibrand notably first announced the formation of an exploratory committee on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on January 15.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand officially joined the race for president Sunday after a two-month exploratory phase, saying she was ready to make "big, bold, brave choices."

The New York lawmaker has pushed her record on voting against Wall Street and taking on the Pentagon to end sexual assault in the military, along with calls for universal health care, paid family leave, ending gun violence, a Green New Deal, and getting money out of politics.

The announcement makes Gillibrand the newest addition to a large pool of Democratic candidates, which includes five other female hopefuls.

Gillibrand first announced the formation of an exploratory committee for president on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on January 15.

"It's taking on the corruption and greed in Washington," Gillibrand told Colbert. "Taking on the special interests that write legislation in the dead of night. And I know that I have the compassion, the courage, and the fearless determination to get that done."

Over the past two months, Gillibrand has made several appearances in early-voting states, often emphasizing her personal role as a mom that informs her policy decisions.

Gillibrand, who touted how she turned a red congressional district blue in the announcement video, began her political career as a moderate, blue-dog Democrat representing a conservative district in upstate New York.

She has made a name for herself as a strong progressive voice in the US Senate, in which she has served since 2009. Gillibrand has advocated for stronger policies around addressing sexual assault in the military, lowering healthcare costs, and decreasing economic and gender inequality.

Gillibrand is also known for leading the Democratic charge against former Senator Al Franken following numerous sexual misconduct allegations. In November 2018, major Democratic donors reportedly criticized Gillibrand for the move and told Politico that they would not donate to her 2020 campaign.